Monday, February 25

a black and RED affair

Fellow fashionistas, happy post-Oscars day! Someone should turn this day into a holiday devoted to fashion lovers to have the time to stop, stare and comment 'till we drop. I am posting early to share with you my favourites from last night.

I have to say I can't decide whether I am surprised or not, I assume the writers guild strike affected even the preparation of the real protagonists of the night —the gowns. Black and red were the clear favourites of the night in an event characterized by sobriety and elegance rather than the striking glamour expected from the awards gala of the year.

I will to try to be kind and skip my endless commentaries, briefly talking about every dress but only treating myself with a little more extension on the big catastrophes of the night.

The winners

I would like to start with the woman I thought best dressed. The fact that I've chosen her as the style winner will prove to those who know me that I am, among other things, quite objective. It should come as not surprise, though, that wearing a Chanel Haute Couture gown specifically made for you plus jewels by Chopard and Jimmy Choo's rocket you to the TOP. Therefore, I crown Penélope Cruz the most beautifully dressed lady of the night. The only flaw? The blah hairdo; that dress was screaming for an up do.

Moving to some of my dear ladies, I was stunned and amazed and moved by Cate Blanchett's —& Co.— semi-casual Dries Van Noten looked like a piece sent down from the Olympus to be worn with those amazing Lorraine Schwartz jewels.

Looks like the pregnant ladies of the moment had a special good taste for the night, for Jessica Alba's Marchesa with Jimmy Choo clutch and shoes were a dream and I am specially thankful to her for injecting the red carpe with a little colour.

I wonder what will be said about Cameron Díaz this time, last year's white Valentino made different opinions arise. To me, she looked stunning in that pale pink Dior.

To finish the list of my favourites, a girl who screwed it up big time last year in a white Valentino (big black bow included)—Anne Hathaway blew me away with the glamour that red Marchesa conferred her.

The catastrophes

I am glad the number of catastrophes decreased this year, although it was not hard to achieve considering the almost unexisting fashion risks that were taken this time. However, XXL snowflake Jennifer Hudson managed to look like a huge mess for the third year in a row in a white Roberto Cavalli with some snake detailing that was probably awful enough even before she stretched it in.

My second and last miss of the gala was Heidi Klum. Some will feel the strong urge to shake and punch me when they read this, but there was something about that red John Galliano with Jimmy Choo's that, although beautiful, made Heidi look like a highly-paid burlesque hooker.

I liked Katherine Heigl's red dress, primarily for the cut-out circle on the shoulder, which I thought was a neat little way to punctuate the wholeness of the red.

Hathaway was also a standout for me, although I noticed that the dress sloped a bit too far on the leeward side.

Thanks to that dress, Hudson's breasts looked as if gravity had made them go sideways. I understand where they were going with this--drawing attention away from her lower body--but it went too far away.

I agree about Cameron Diaz; the dress was original and stunning.But what about Marion Cotillard? Her side-parted hair, her siren dress? I loved her style.Hedi Klum is SCARY: the dress, the super-bronzed complexion. Yuck.

Great post, you had me chuckling in parts of it...I'll agree to disagree with you a little bit on Heidi Klum, agree totally with Anne Hathaway...and yes, yes, yes, Penelope would have looked soooo much better with an up do! It's such fun to read what other think, I love the way we all express our different opinions:)